Cover Up
by xxHeadInTheStarsxx
Summary: AU. Her job: paparazzi. Her assignment: Chad Dylan Cooper. Her mistake: falling in love with him. ChadSonny Collaboration with MaddieTheSilentWriter.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Well **MaddieTheSilentWriter **and I are collaborating! Here's a new SonnyChad story! We hope that you like it!**

Prologue

Sonny Monroe gladly slipped the peach envelope under the desk towards her boss. Her boss, Damen, carefully grabbed the envelope and hastily opened it. He tried not to look eager, but that was almost impossible. Damen revealed the picture that was inside and a tightlipped smile appeared on his face. He gave his employee an impressed look. Whatever Miss Monroe brought was worth thousands of dollars. She was famous for capturing the biggest scandals and picturing the worst predicaments in one simple photo. The celebrities hated her, but the paparazzi idolized her.

"Well done, Miss Monroe. You have really outdone yourself. You are by far the best here." Damen said, tucking the picture away into the drawers of his desk. Sonny gladly took the compliment and smirked smugly. "Now wait here a moment. I will get your pay." Damen said, grabbing the wireless phone next to him. He ordered his secretary to retrieve his checkbook and pen. Mere seconds, his secretary walked through the door with his handy checkbook and a black inked pen.

"Ten thousand dollars to Sonny Monroe." Damen muttered underneath his breath. He ripped it out and handed it over to her. Sonny took it and buried it deep inside of her stuffy wallet. She bit her lip and gave her boss a wary look. "What's wrong? Are you not happy with ten grand?" Damen chuckled.

"Well it's just that this was officially my five hundredth picture. I'm completely out of debt, and I have enough money to go to college." Sonny said uncomfortably. Damen frowned, worry obvious in his eyes. He knew where she was going with this. "Is it okay if I…um…_resign_?" she asked.

---

Sonny has been in this company for a full three years. When she first came to Hollywood, she was looking to be a script writer. She always dreamed of writing a worldwide blockbuster film. But tragedy struck her when she realized that she was flat out broke and had no money to go to college to get her masters degree on writing. By the time her nineteenth birthday rolled on, she was desperate and was looking for any job.

How she became a paparazzi – or "celebrity photographer" as she would prefer to be titled – was a complete accident. She didn't _mean _to. She was just walking around West Hollywood (lost in the city actually) and was looking for the nearest bus stop. It's been hours, and her high heels were torturing her. Sonny felt like she was going to drop. So she took a break and leaned against the brick wall behind her, resting her aching feet.

As she stood on the sidewalk, she was messing around with her new camera. Looking at its features, taking random pictures – hey, she was extremely bored and tired. Sonny then caught sight of two people – two _very _famous people – through her camera. She zoomed in on them, wondering if her eyes tricked her. She gasped to see them kissing. No, kissing would be an understatement. What didn't shock her was that two international actors were making out in public. It was the fact that the guy was married to somebody else. And this somebody isn't the chick who's pressed against him.

Sonny took the picture immediately. She smiled and was excited to show her best friend, Tawni, this when she got home to their apartment. She and Tawni were always excited to hear the latest gossip news. It was like their reason to talk, the wild side of life. As Sonny thought more about it, her feet felt like they were healing, completely boosting up her energy. Sonny began to _run _back to her apartment in Los Angeles. She ran and ran. (Until she got tired again and walked towards the nearest bus stop again.)

It was Tawni who told her to sell it to People Magazine. At first, Sonny didn't want to because she believed that the paparazzo were just a bunch of low life sleazes who didn't go anywhere in life. But after lots of encouraging and desperate imploring from Tawni, Sonny gave in and sent the picture over to them. After that day, she thanked Tawni every possible moment for begging her to do that.

That picture literally put those girls out of debt of every kind. Mortgage rent, cell phone bills, electricity, water – everything got paid off after that picture reached People Magazine. They were even able to move into a new and much better looking condo located in West Hollywood, along with the other celebrities.

Sonny needed more though. She wanted to be a professional script writer, so she needed to go to college, but she needed the _money_. She reluctantly went back to the magazine company and asked for a job. She would have accepted to be an intern or even a janitor. But that's not what they gave her. People Magazine didn't ask for a résumé, and they didn't ask any serious questions. Instead, they just gave her a camera and sent her off to the heated areas of the Los Angeles metropolitan. Sonny Monroe's job: paparazzi.

Click, snap, flash, and another paycheck was born. It was almost _too easy _for Miss Monroe. Call it sweet karma or good luck, but she almost happens to be at the right place and at the right time – for her at least, for those celebrities: not so much.

But as time flew by, the excitement and rush of exposing secrets faded away in Sonny. She grew bored, unsurprised, and unwilling these days. What was the point of this in the first place? To make money right? Well she had enough money for both her and Tawni and to go to college. She didn't need this job anymore. Correction: she didn't _want _this job anymore.

---

"You…you want to resign?" Damen asked. He couldn't believe his ears. His star, his flower, his gem, his favorite "celebrity photographer" was actually resigning? "Miss Monroe, you have done a great deal for us. You're a legend. There will never be another person who could capture such amazing moments than you." Sonny rolled her eyes and folded her arms.

"You mean ruin peoples' lives?" she stated, raising an eyebrow at her boss.

"Oh, is that why you want to leave? You feel guilty?" he laughed. "Miss Monroe, you know that we workers here don't have a conscience. I thought you didn't either. What changed?" he said, laughing in between his words. Sonny glared at him.

"I do not feel guilty for these – these excuses for human beings! Why would I feel guilty for revealing these disgusting animals?!" Sonny snapped. Damen raised his eyebrows. Sonny sighed and closed her eyes, trying to calm herself. "Look, the only reason why I want to resign is so that I can go to college and be something that I want to be. I'm twenty-one years old, and I just want to go to college." Damen sighed and sunk back into his chair, understanding.

"Fine, fine. Resign." He said. Sonny smiled joyfully. She almost began to clap her hands and jump up and down, squealing shrilly, until Damen cut her off. "_But_," Sonny squinted at Damen. Of course there was another side to this. "I need you to do one more project." Sonny scowled and stomped her foot, feeling frustrated. "This time, you don't get to choose who're going to photograph. I'm picking your assignment."

"Whatever. I could do it anyways." Sonny said confidently. But really, she just wanted to do this as quickly as possible. It was summer and fall was rolling around the corner. She wanted to at least apply to the winter courses of college.

"Alright, but this guy is hard. Sure, he's a wild partier, hard drinker, and a major bed hopper, but what male Hollywood actor isn't?" Sonny gave Damen a strange look, wondering where he's going through with this. "This guy has a dark, dark secret somewhere tucked in his conceited head, and his publicist is very good at hiding it. What I want you to find out what that secret is."

"His secret? Pfft, that won't be hard." Sonny said, making it sound like it wasn't a big deal. Damen smirked.

"If you do find his secret, and if his secret is actually good, we will pay you five hundred grand. Now wouldn't that be a good bonus to your college fees?" Sonny smiled, feeling excitement tingle beneath her skin. Not because she had another assignment though. Damen was literally handing over blood money for her college fees. Sonny was a definite yes for this school year. She clutched onto her camera that hung loosely in front of her stomach, practically ready to expose and reveal.

"So who's the guy?" she asked impatiently.

"Chad Dylan Cooper."


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Well here's chapter one! Thanks for the reviews, guys, and sorry for the long wait! **

Chapter 1

"So who's the guy?" She asked impatiently.

"Chad Dylan Cooper."

Sonny froze as realization washed over her. This was _the _three-named jerk that _nobody_ could get dirt on that they were talking about. The guy that had disappeared after the season finale of _Mackenzie Falls_ and didn't return. Sonny's mind was spinning as she thought about the assignment, the scandals, the money, but the hardest part was getting the scoop first.

"Sonny? Ms. Monroe?" Damen waved a hand in front of her face.

Sonny shook her head. "Wha- oh, yeah?"

Damen smirked at her. "If this assignment is _too hard_," He put emphasis on the "too hard". "Then we can find someone else to complete the task, you could resign." He cocked an eyebrow.

Sonny tensed up. She wasn't going to be defeated. "No!" She practically shouted. "I mean, I can handle this. I promise, I won't let you down." Was she really committing to this? Damen smiled.

"Fabulous! You have a month to get this secret of his or you're fired and there will be _no_ money involved. And remember, if I don't get the whole thing, it's your ass."

Sonny nodded and walked slowly out of her boss's office. She thought about what she had done, what Damen had said.

"_This guy is hard."_

"_His publicist is very good at hiding it."_

She figured she had made a mistake, taking the job was just too hard for her. But she wanted to prove to her boss, and the whole world, that she was strong enough to break through that conceited head of his and spill the news to the press. Sonny smirked at herself and continued walking, avoiding the stares at the camera that dangled from her neck and the name tag that explained exactly what she was out to get. But this was Hollywood after all. Sonny had proved herself better than any reporter; Damien, Santiago, even Sharona. It was hard to _not_ get stares.

_Oh no, I'm as bad as Cooper, _She thought to herself.

She dabbed her lips with gloss and bounced to her condo, right in the middle of the big city, the best place to get her dirt. She sat on her bed, picking up on of the many magazines that lay on the table beside her. She analyzed and studied the articles, only one or two about Cooper in each copy. She read through a previous article, one from last year's _Tween Weekly_.

"_Chad Dylan Cooper—Retiring?! The heartthrob hottie may be quitting his career on the teen drama, _Mackenzie Falls_._ _But is this the last of Chad Dylan Cooper? Publicists and reporters say no, but he seems to say yes. Cooper has been in hiding for the last few weeks and his bodyguards are doing their job because no one has been his house lately. Will, he be gone for good?"_

Sonny groaned. How was she supposed to get dirt on this guy, if nobody had heard from him for months? Her head was spinning with the overwhelming thought that she wasn't going to be able to keep her dignity as paparazzi. She fell back onto her pillow and slowly drifted off to sleep.

---

Sonny woke up to a small sliver of light. She looked over at her clock which read 8:27 am. She sighed, knowing she wasn't going to be able to fall asleep now. She reached at the foot of her bed and grabbed her laptop. She signed on to Sharona's gossip blog, hopping for new dirt on CDC. As she had expected, she found nothing except for the fact that they were stating the obvious and announcing that he hadn't been seen.

_Yet._ Sonny thought, smirking.

She got out of bed slowly and trudged down the stairs and into her kitchen. She pulled out a cereal box, only to find it empty. She groaned loudly, walking to her television set and plopping down onto the couch. She turned it on and found re-runs of _Mackenzie Falls_ playing. She had never seen the show before, and she decided to watch it, attempting to find out why this guy was so important to everyone.

---

After and hour or so of watching the show, she thought all of her brain cells had died. How could anyone have a big enough tolerance for this show to actually nominate it the best tween show? She dramatically rubbed her temples as she made her way into the kitchen to check the time; 10:03. She figured she should make herself presentable if she was every going to start on this project.

She took a shower and changed, walking down to the lobby and out the door, breathing in the warm city air. She was ready to begin her challenge.

---

She scoped out almost every place in Hollywood; clubs, bars, even hotels. Nobody had seen him or heard from him. She found herself desperate, looking around the sidewalks like a lost puppy. Sonny found herself sitting on the sidewalk, quickly losing faith. She had spent a decent day looking for the mysterious three-named jerk, not even getting a "maybe" from someone.

She looked up and saw a billboard, and written in big, brown letters was, "Try the Belwood Café!" She figured she could use a latte or two to calm her nerves.

Sonny called a cab and drove towards the small coffee shop. When she reached her destination, she hesitated. Inside was a small bar and a stage where garage bands were trying their luck for fame. Sonny walked in and sat down at the bar. Next to her sat a young man, maybe only in his early twenties, with dirty blonde mop hair shooting tequila poppers. He looked familiar, but Sonny just brushed it off.

Suddenly, a little girl rushed up to him and hugged his leg, squealing.

The little girl stuttered excitedly, "You're- you're- you're…" Realization struck Sonny as she slowly finished the little girl's sentence,

"Chad Dylan Cooper."


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Sorry for the long wait again! And thanks for the really really awesome reviews!! :D

Chapter Two

Chad Dylan Cooper glared at the little girl and rolled his eyes, desperately wanting her off of his leg. He even wondered how this brat got into this place. Wasn't this a club? An _adult _club? Apparently someone isn't good at their parenting skills. "Kid, find your mom and tell her that she's a horrible mother." Chad instructed, waving the little girl off. And she scurried innocently away, following her idol's demands.

Sonny raised her eyebrows in shock. She would have imagined Chad to push the girl off, make a scene, storm out dramatically, _anything _scandalous. (Well, she wished.) He must be taking his 'low key' profile seriously. Sonny mentally groaned, thinking how hard this is going to be. She propped her head on her elbows and stared at Chad, angry at him. Yes, Sonny was angry at a grown man whom she knew nothing about just because he wasn't doing anything immoral.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Chad asked her curiously with an annoyed expression drawn onto his face. Sonny blinked nervously at the superstar. She didn't realize that her gawking was _that _obvious. Sonny opened her mouth to speak, but she was too timid to think of words to say. She has never really made contact with a celebrity, let alone actually talked to them. It was always strict business: follow them until they did something stupid enough for her to take a worthy picture. But here she is with Chad Dylan Cooper whom is irritated by her gaping.

Chad lowered his gaze and saw the dark camera that hung loosely in front of the young girl before him, a camera that every paparazzi was proud to wear. Chad scoffed and rolled his eyes, heading over to a different location.

"Freaking paparazzi won't leave me alone." He muttered underneath his breath, but it was loud enough for Sonny to hear.

Sonny stared down at her camera and frowned. Maybe she shouldn't be _too _obvious next time.

She slowly placed her camera in her bag and placed a pair of sunglasses above her eyes. Sonny touched her neck. She felt naked, cold. She wasn't used to being camera-less. Heck, even when she went to bed, her camera had to be snuggled in her arms. It was her most prized possession that she wouldn't give up for the world. Sonny sighed dejectedly. She knew that she had to do get this picture and this story, even if it meant going 'undercover'.

Sonny stared intently at the international actor whom was talking to another…unattractive lady. Chad looked utterly bored while the lady continued to act flirtatious yet desperate. Sonny snorted at the stray woman's antics and continued to watch, hoping that Mr. Cooper will go home with this hopeless woman. Knowing Chad's rep, he probably would. But surprisingly enough, Chad turned on his heel and exited the club, no girl at his arm.

_Freaking celebrity won't do something stupid. _She thought indignantly before following him out.

Sonny made sure she kept a good distance between Chad and her so he couldn't possibly reach out of her sight. She kept her fingers crossed behind her back, praying praying praying that Chad was going to do something incredulously scandalous already. Each time a person walked by, Sonny hoped for a brawl, verbal abuse, _anything _from him! But to her dismay, Chad always continued to walk and walk.

Sonny groaned inwardly. She has never been this impatient or _desperate_ in her life. It was seriously destroying her confidence. She began to glare at the back of Chad's head with her arms folded indignantly. She mentally commanded him to do something bad repeatedly.

_For the love of God and all that is good, do something stupid already! _Sonny screamed in her head. Chad suddenly froze, almost knocking Sonny off her feet. Sonny bit her lip nervously. _Oh crap, did I say that aloud? _She wondered worriedly. _Please don't tell me I said that aloud_.

Chad slowly turned around until he caught sight of the stranger. His eyes slowly moved from down to up until their eyes met. He smirked and raised an eyebrow, knowing that this woman was completely harmless—and _hot_. "Can I ask you why you're following me?" he asked dreamily. Sonny felt tingles shoot up inside her as she gawked at his smile. She bit down harshly on her bottom lip, trying not to make a fool out of herself.

_Don't talk to him. He'll go away if you just don't talk to him_. She told herself.

Chad's smirk grew, and he began to walk towards Sonny. Sonny immediately looked down and started to shake. Chad Dylan Cooper was now just a couple feet away from her, that stupid smile still on his flawless face. Sonny glanced up at him before firmly fixing her eyes back down on her shoes.

_What the heck is he doing?! _She mentally screamed.

"Aw, c'mon, sweetheart, you can talk to me. Just because I'm Chad Dylan Cooper doesn't mean I'm not a normal person. I mean, I date fans once in a while." He grinned cockily.

_Oh my God. Arrogant, self-absorbed, anger management problems, blunt, heartless, and a low-life jerk. Why did Damen pick __him__ out of every other celebrity in Hollywood? The most you can get on this blonde douche is the fact that he's in love with himself._

"Excuse me?!" Chad yelled. Sonny looked up, alarmed. She covered her mouth, realizing that she's been thinking aloud again. "Hey, I am not in love with myself! And who the hell is Damen?!" Chad practically roared. His offended expressions slowly turned into a furious one. "Wait, Damen from People Magazine Damen?" he asked somewhat dangerously. Sonny just continued to stare at him, speechless. Chad's eyes widened. "You're paparazzi! That's why you're following me, isn't it?! You're the girl from the bar!"

"Crap!" Sonny squealed. She began to run as fast as she could, away from Chad, and towards her condo. On her way, her pair of sunglasses fell off of her eyes. Sonny didn't even bother to pick it up. If she even dared to stop, who knows what could have happened to her.

Chad watched Sonny run away from him. He rolled his eyes and dug his hands into his pockets. Then a pair of sunglasses caught his eye. Chad bent down to grab it. He held it in his hands and studied it, running his fingers against the side. Chad placed it inside of his pocket and began to walk away.

--

Sonny stormed into her condo, gasping for air. She hasn't run like that ever since three years ago. She continued to pant as she plopped down onto the couch and rubbed her head. "Ugh," she groaned, closing her eyes. That had to be _by far_ the worst mess up she has ever done, and to make things even worse, this was her most important project!

"What's wrong?" Tawni asked as she walked into the living room. "You looked like you just got chased by the cops…you didn't, did you?" she asked, sitting next to her best friend.

"Pfft, I _wish_. At least there I had an excuse why I didn't get anything juicy about that three-named jerk." She mumbled. Tawni gave her another puzzled look. Sonny sighed and leaned her head on Tawni's shoulder. "Damen told me to get some dirt on Chad Dylan Cooper."

"Ooh, he's so cute!" Tawni said. Sonny glared at her. "I mean…uh…ew." She said confusedly. Sonny rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Come on, Sonny, you gotta admit, Chad Dylan Cooper is _hot._"

"He may be hot, but he's a jerk. The loser won't do anything stupid like I wished for. No, instead he attempts to hit on me with the most conceited line I have ever heard!"

"Oh my God, Chad Dylan Cooper actually flirted with you?!" Tawni asked incredulously. "And you freaking turned him down?! What is wrong with you?! Not only you could have gotten your story there, you also said no to a date with this—this god!" Tawni stuttered angrily.

"Okay, first, why would I want to put _myself _in the dark light? I don't want to ruin the way people see me."

"Psh, you're not even famous, Sonny." Sonny scoffed and threw a pillow at her friend.

"It doesn't matter. Whenever I walk down the street, I don't want to be known as the girl who hooked up with Chad Dylan Cooper." Tawni rolled her eyes and threw the pillow back.

"Then you should have at least said yes to the date and not write about it. You do realize that if you get close with him, he'll trust you more, and it'll be a whole lot easier to get your scoop." Sonny frowned, not thinking about that before. She scowled and buried her face in her knees, letting out a low groan, thinking how stupid she was.

"Ugh, you're right." She whined. Tawni laughed.

"Tawni Hart is always right." She stated. "I still can't believe that you said no to a date with Chad."

"Tawni, he didn't even ask me out! All he said was that he dates fans once in a while."

"And that means that he wanted to date _you_!"

"Yeah, but I'm not a fan, and I don't want a date with him." This time, Tawni smacked Sonny with the pillow. Sonny rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated huff. "It doesn't even matter anyways. He found out that I was a paparazzi and I'm pretty sure he'll want nothing to do with me."

"Well, it's not like he's going to completely remember your face. Don't you always go out in some sort of disguise whenever you go to do work?" Sonny's eyes brighten. She smiled widely at her best friend.

"I was wearing my sunglasses! He couldn't have recognized me entirely with those on! I still have a chance to get this project done with!" she said excitedly. She then frowned. "Ugh, this reminds me that I need to buy a new pair of sunglasses. They fell off while I was running on my way here."

"Oh my God, you ran all the way here?! Ha! Why?!" Tawni asked in between her laughter.

"Well…I got…scared." Sonny admitted.

"Of who, Chad Dylan Cooper?! Psh, Sonny, you said it yourself; he's just an egotistical man…a hot egotistical man, but still just a man. It's not like he was going to kill you when he found out that you're trying to ruin his reputation." Tawni scoffed. "The next time he sees you, all you need to do is to make sure that he lets you into his life for you to get your story. Then once you got it, just leave and apply to college. It's that simple. Chad Dylan Cooper is that simple."

Sonny sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. She glanced at Tawni, thinking that she was right. Sonny confidently smiled and pulled her camera from her bag, staring down at it with pride. "Yep, he's just a simple man who's going to get his image marred by Sonny Monroe."


End file.
